Looking For - Feedback on Excursions Plan!

[aroundtheworld96]

Hello! 

 

I am having a very hard time finalizing my excursion choices for my upcoming Alaska cruise, so thought I would come here for feedback. The 2 options are listed below:

 

Sitka (12pm-7pm)

Wilderness Sea Kayaking excursion (12:30-3:30)

Afterwards walk around on our own

 

Juneau (9am-9pm)

AM Mount Roberts Tram (weather permitting)

Taku Glacier Lodge Tour (1-4)

Walk around town afterwards

 

Skagway (7am-4:30pm)

Rental car - drive Klondike Highway to Carcross/Emerald Lake

 

Haines (6:30pm-10:30pm)

Takshanuk Mountain Trail Tour (7-10) 

 

OR

 

Sitka (12pm-7pm)

Wildlife Quest & Fin Island Lodge or Alaska Bear & Silver Bay Homestead Experience (1-4:30)

Afterwards walk around on our own

 

Juneau (9am-9pm)

Mendenhall Lake Kayak with Gold Creek Salmon Bake (10am-3pm)

Walk around town afterwards or Mt Roberts Tram (weather permitting)

 

Skagway (7am-4:30pm)

Rental car - drive Klondike Highway to Carcross/Emerald Lake

 

Haines (6:30pm-10:30pm)

Mountain Flying Glacier Bay Flightseeing (1 hour) 

 

 

Some additional detail - we are a late 20s/early 30s couple, active, particularly interested in nature and always up for a good view. I suffer from bad motion sickness so we are not considering any whale watching tours as my previous experiences whale watching have not gone well. The cost between both plans is comparable. There is definitely room to play around with both of these itineraries and mix and match activities - but key to us is doing at least 1 lodge/meal type of experience, do one flight experience, and do one kayaking experience. So what I am looking for now are objective opinions on which tours people prefer. Though the overall cost for both options are comparable, the cost of the Taku Glacier Lodge tour comes to close to 600$ CAD per person which is hard to justify for a 3 hour tour. Does it make more sense to spread the money out over a few bigger tours like option 2? I would love any input to help my indecisive mind make a decision 🙂 Thank you in advance! 

 

 

[wolfie11]

Sitka - I'm ambivalent about these choices.  Probably kayaking. I actually prefer to go hiking at Totem Park and watch the salmon if they're running, then walk around town or go to the science center.

 

Juneau - absolutely Taku.  One of my favorites.  
 

Skagway - a car is a great way to see the area.  I love Carcross.  The Caribou Crossing complex is a major tourist trap.  Use your 30 year old legs to run to the rental office as soon as you get off the ship or you'll have to wait in a long line with at least two families ahead of you that don't speak English.  If you haven't booked a car do it now.

 

Haines - Glacier Bay Flightseeing.  Stunning!  Once in a lifetime experience!  Takshanuk 4x4 is ok if you like being herded.  It's been a few years since I've done it.  
 

Have back up plans!  Flightseeing is often cancelled.  

[aroundtheworld96]

1 hour ago, wolfie11 said:

Sitka - I'm ambivalent about these choices.  Probably kayaking. I actually prefer to go hiking at Totem Park and watch the salmon if they're running, then walk around town or go to the science center.

 

Juneau - absolutely Taku.  One of my favorites.  
 

Skagway - a car is a great way to see the area.  I love Carcross.  The Caribou Crossing complex is a major tourist trap.  Use your 30 year old legs to run to the rental office as soon as you get off the ship or you'll have to wait in a long line with at least two families ahead of you that don't speak English.  If you haven't booked a car do it now.

 

Haines - Glacier Bay Flightseeing.  Stunning!  Once in a lifetime experience!  Takshanuk 4x4 is ok if you like being herded.  It's been a few years since I've done it.  
 

Have back up plans!  Flightseeing is often cancelled.  

Thank you this is helpful! Part of my concern with flightseeing is as you said that it often gets cancelled, and it would be disappointing if everything else we want to do is sold out. The budget will not allow for both Taku and Glacier Bay flightseeing so we are looking at choosing between these 2 options.
 

We definitely plan to go to Totem Park in Sitka but since we have 7 hours we thought we would have time to combine that with something else. The lodge excursions are around 250$/person so just trying to figure out if it is worthwhile or better off to stick with the cheaper kayaking. 
 

and thank you for the advice on the rental car, that we have booked already and it should be waiting for us at the dock when we arrive!

[wolfie11]

The pictures used in the brochure for the Mendenhall Lake canoe trip are old.  Don't expect to see any blue icebergs or any icebergs at all.  The glacier retreated 800 feet last year and will likely be out of the water this year.  Picture is from last October.

The salmon bake in Juneau is more of an outdoor cafeteria than a lodge if you're looking for a lodge experience.  The salmon is ok, but not as good as at Taku, and the sides are underwhelming.  Again it's been a few years since I've eaten there. 

Edited March 14, 2023 by wolfie11

[aroundtheworld96]

4 minutes ago, wolfie11 said:

The pictures used in the brochure for the Mendenhall Lake canoe trip are old.  Don't expect to see any blue icebergs or any icebergs at all.  The glacier retreated 800 feet last year and will likely be out of the water this year.  Picture is from last October.

The salmon bake in Juneau is more of an outdoor cafeteria than a lodge if you're looking for a lodge experience.  The salmon is ok, but not as good as at Taku, and the sides are underwhelming.  Again it's been a few years since I've eaten there. 

 

Thank you for this - I was aware the glacier was retreating but those numbers really put things into perspective! The glacier retreating is partly why I was considering the kayak/canoe tour - wasn’t sure if it worth just going to see on foot from a distance but perhaps the view from the water won’t be all that much better… 

 

As for the lodge I am seeing mixed reviews for the Juneau salmon bake, but figured doing the Fin Island Lodge in Sitka might be more similar to the Taku lodge. So many tough decisions to make on a budget!